


Hidden in Plain Sight

by GinnyBloomPotter



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt Hawkeye, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Mistaken Identity, Nothing explicit, Protective BJ Hunnicutt, Worried BJ
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26108626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyBloomPotter/pseuds/GinnyBloomPotter
Summary: Hawkeye's R&R ends poorly when he's caught in the shelling on the way back to the 4077th. His friends get justifiably concerned when he doesn't show up. Little do they know, he's lying right there, in Post-op.
Relationships: B. J. Hunnicutt & Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce
Comments: 13
Kudos: 55





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This is my 12 year old sister's first ever fanfiction, and I'm posting it for her on my account. I helped her with the grammar and spelling, but the words are all hers! I hope you all enjoy! Let us know what you think!

“You know, Beej”, said Hawkeye as he packed his things, getting ready to go on R and R. “I’m going to have a great time with a great girl”.

“Well, you enjoy Hawk, but I’m quite happy with my wife,” replied BJ.

“Hey, I’ll bring you back one,” said Hawkeye cheerfully. “I’m thinking… a grass skirt….”

“And a coconut bra” ,laughed BJ. “Well, I’ll see you soon.”

“Hopefully not too soon” muttered Hawkeye. 

And with that he left.

* * *

Hawkeye was driving down the road (or what was left of the road, among all the potholes) thinking about the girl he spent his R and R with. He almost didn't hear the shelling behind him... almost. He started to go faster, hoping he would outrun them. BOOM!!! That was close. BAM!!! That was even closer. BANG!!! It couldn't be any closer! 

The force sent Hawkeye flying out of the jeep; all he could feel was a strong pain in his face. Then, he saw his dog tags sailing off his neck. Then, everything went black.


	2. O.R.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's business as usual when casualties start flooding into the 4077th. But where is their chief surgeon?

_ Attention, attention! All personnel! Incoming wounded! Triage in the compound. _

“Give him a whole unit of blood,” said BJ as he tried to get to as many patients as he could.

“Captain, come over here!” called a corpsman. 

BJ wove his way through patients, corpsmen, and nurses. He finally reached the corpsman who called him. “They found him with no dog tags and bad facial wounds,” the corpsman told BJ.

“Hi there, Mr. Mystery. We’re going to fix you up, don’t worry,” BJ said “Prep him. Start him on two units of whole blood. I’ll take him first.”

As BJ worked, the usual thoughts went through his mind: how badly was the guy he was working on hurt? How many more were waiting? When would he get to bed? 

His thoughts were interrupted by Colonel Potter. “Has anyone seen Pierce?” he asked.

“I thought he was on 24 hour R and R?” BJ replied. 

“He was... 25 hours ago.” 

BJ immediately began to worry. “He probably got a flat tire,” he thought. “Probably.”

* * *

“Maybe he heard about all the wounded and decided to go AWOL,” said Winchester a couple of hours later. 

They were still operating; it was taking longer because they were down a surgeon.

“Maybe he really did go AWOL,” suggested Klinger as he came into the room.

“He wouldn't!” BJ said with a worried tone in his voice. “Everyone knows he hates the place, but he wouldn’t go AWOL.”

“Well, for his sake, let’s all hope he  _ did _ go AWOL,” Colonel Potter sighed.

“Why?” asked Radar, confused. 

“Because the other options are wounded or dead.” 


	3. Remember

Hawkeye tried to open his eyes. His face was killing him. It felt like the world's worst hangover. 

He looked around the room and recognised it immediately as the 4077th post-op ward. 

“How the heck did I get here?!” he wondered. He thought about what he could remember last. “I was driving back from R and R...” he recalled. “Then there was… Oh! The shelling! At least it looks like my R and R was extended,” he smiled to himself. 

He heard Colonel Potter talking to Father Mulchay.

“Any news about Hawkeye?” Father Mulchay asked.

“Nope. He’s still missing,” Colonel Potter replied.

Missing? What were they talking about? He was lying right there! “My face probably got all ugly and messed up,” he thought, “but even if it did, I still have my dog tags.” He felt for them, but they weren’t there. “I must have lost them! Now, I’m the mysterious man in bed 6,” he thought.

Margaret walked over and looked at his chart. Then, Winchester walked by and started talking to Margaret in a voice he thought Hawkeye couldn’t hear. 

Hawkeye could hear him perfectly. 

“Pierce is still missing,” Winchester said in a hushed voice. “I can hardly believe that he is getting away with going AWOL.” 

”Thanks for believing in me, Winchester,” thought Hawkeye.

“What if he didn’t go AWOL?” said Margaret “What if he is wounded or dead?”

“Margaret, are you... worried?” asked Winchester, looking bemused 

“Of course I’m worried!” Margaret exclaimed, voice still hushed. “Sure, he's immature, but he is kind, caring, sometimes even funny, and he’s a brilliant surgeon. Better than even you!”

“He is a fine surgeon. One of the finest I know. But I wouldn't go as far as to say he is better than me,” Winchester said back.

“If you would excuse me, Doctor, I have patients to attend to,” said Margaret. 

They both left the foot of his bed.

Hawkeye thought about Margaret’s words. He never thought Margaret thought of him like that. “Kind and caring...” “Brilliant surgeon...” It was nice to know that  _ someone _ was actually worried about him. 

Suddenly, he thought about BJ. “Poor Beej,” Hawkeye thought. “I need to tell him it's me!” Then he started to feel tired and he fell asleep.

* * *

BJ couldn’t stop thinking about Hawkeye. He was worried, so worried. Everyone was telling him not to be, but that was like asking Hawkeye to stop drinking. 

He decided to go see Colonel Potter. Maybe he had some good news to tell him about Hawkeye.

“Any news about Hawkeye?” asked BJ as he walked into Colonel Potter's office.

“Nothing,” said Colonel Potter with a frown on his face. “I called the hotel he was staying at; they said that he left there six hours ago. He should have been back here five hours ago.”

“Well that didn’t work,” BJ muttered. “You were supposed to tell me good news! That way, I wouldn’t be so crazy with worry. Instead, you made me even more worried!”

“I know you’re worried, but there is still a chance that he’s just drunk in a bar in Seoul,” Colonel Potter said.

“Yeah, but there’s also a chance that he’s lost and wounded,” BJ said. “What are we doing about it— sitting around, hoping for good news?”

“It’s the only thing we  _ can _ do,” Colonel Potter replied. “Try to relax. I’ll tell you if I hear anything.” 

So BJ left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Please leave a comment down below, let us know what you think!


	4. Tension

BJ walked out of Colonel Potter's office and decided the best way to distract himself would be to go to Post-Op. He wanted to check on his mystery patient anway, and if he  _ still  _ couldn’t get distracted… Well, there was always the still.

BJ entered Post-Op and walked straight towards his patient. He quickly read over his chart. His eyes lingered on the blank space where the name should be. He decided to look through his personal effects so he could find out more about him.

He was about to go when he heard the sound of choppers heading towards the camp and the phrase he had heard many times before over the PA. He sighed and headed to OR.

______________________________________________

“So nice of Pierce to leave us with all the wounded,” Winchester said.

“Hey, Winchester? Do me a favor? Shut up!” said BJ, clearly aggravated.

“Calm down, Hunnicutt,” Winchester said back calmly. “The person you should be mad at is Pierce for abandoning us!”

“What if he’s hurt, or lost, or worse?!” said BJ, getting even angrier.

“Everybody, calm down! We aren’t helping anyone by fighting,” said Colonel Potter.

BJ finished his last patient and left OR. He went straight to the Swamp… and straight to the still.

___________________________________________

Hawkeye was losing his mind. 

The only thing he could do was lay on his back and stare at the ceiling. He couldn’t talk because of his injuries, and the only company he had was the nurses that walked past his bed.

He was losing track of time but by his estimation, he had been “AWOL” for a day.

Then, Radar entered Post-Op holding a tray. He looked sad and angry, but his facial expression changed into a smile as he approached the patients. He walked past all of the patients to a nurse. He handed her the tray and turned to leave, but as he rushed to exit, he ran straight into Colonel Potter.

“Sorry, sir,” Radar muttered as he tried to hide his face from him.

“Is something wrong?” Colonel Potter asked with a worried look on his face.

“Nothing, sir,” said Radar staring at his feet “Just worried, sir.”

“Pierce?” Colonel Potter asked even though he knew that was what it was. 

Radar nodded and looked up, but still avoided Colonel Potter’s eyes.

“You know we’re trying our best,” Colonel Potter said gently.

“I know, sir,” sighed Radar, “but aren’t you still worried? I know we’re trying our best, but he’s still missing!”

“I know. I’m worried too,” Colonel Potter said quietly and sadly.

They both stood there for a minute, then Radar headed to the door and Colonel Potter headed to the man in the bed next to Hawkeye.

With all of the drama over, Hawkeye went back to staring at the ceiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Only a couple chapters left! Let us know what you thought!


	5. Drunk

BJ couldn’t stop drinking. He kept imagining Hawkeye dead or hurt, lying somewhere bleeding, and everytime he thought about it, he tried to forget. 

By this point, he had drunk almost the entire still, and he was not ready to stop.

He stumbled out of the Swamp and across the compound. 

He walked past Radar in his office, reading a comic book, without even noticing him, but Radar definitely noticed BJ, and he definitely noticed that he was drunk. Radar decided to go get Colonel Potter.

As BJ fumbled about Colonel Potter's office, trying to open the liquor cabinet, Colonel Potter rushed into the room.

“Oh hiii, Colonel,” BJ said. “I was just looking for the key to the booze.”

“How about we slow down for a minute?” said Colonel Potter as he motioned for BJ to sit.

BJ stumbled towards the chair and practically fell into it. He looked at Colonel Potter and said, “Yes?”

“Look. I know you are worried about Pierce,” said Colonel Potter, “but drinking isn’t going get him back.”

“It’s better than doing what we are doing… Nothing!” BJ said rather loudly.

“We are trying our best. You know that,” Colonel Potter sighed. “We have everyone in Korea looking for him… or what’s left of him.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” BJ said, looking confused.

“Nothing, nothing,” said Colonel Potter, avoiding BJ’s eyes.

“It’s obviously something. What is it?” BJ said, getting frustrated.

“Well he could be… umm… dead,” Colonel Potter said.

BJ stood up very suddenly, knocking over the chair he was sitting in. “He. Is. Not. Dead!” BJ said, staring Colonel Potter straight in the eyes with a piercing glare. 

“I never said he was dead for sure,” Colonel Potter said quietly.

“I need to be in post OP,” BJ said loudly, turning to leave.

“...wait...no...not that drunk,” Colonel Potter said, trying to stop BJ, but BJ simply ignored him.

______________________________________________

BJ stumbled out of Colonel Potter’s office and into post OP.

He walked past Winchester, who looked at BJ and blocked his path, “I will not allow you to touch my patients in this state!” he said angrily

“Well it's a good thing I came to touch my patients, not yours,” BJ said, walking around Winchester towards his mystery patient.

A glance at his chart made BJ remember he wanted to go to personal effects.

So that's what he did. He dropped his chart and left, just as Winchester came toward him, probably to kick him out.

BJ entered personal effects to find Father Mulcahy, who smiled. “Hello BJ. Can I help you?” Father Mulcahy asked.

“Actually, you can,” said BJ, smiling slightly. “Can you show me the personal effects for the patient that came in with no dog tags?”

Father Mulcahy walked over to a shelf and pulled down a box from the top row and left it on a table.

BJ opened the box. There wasn't much in there: A very burnt wallet and a package. He picked it up and showed it to Father Mulcahy. “Do you know what this is?” he asked.

“Some sort of present, I assume,” said Father Mulcahy. “There was some sort of bow on it,”

BJ opened the package and stared at it for a minute. It was a girl in a hula skirt, and he laughed. “You know, Hawkeye…” he stopped mid- sentence. He had just turned it over. He could just make out the words written on the back.

It said, “To BJ.”

He dropped it and turned to Father Mulcahy, then he ran out the door.


	6. My Eyes Are Open Wide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Yes the story was all written. It's my fault. I just didn't proofread the last chapter until now. I'm sorry. Mea Culpa. 
> 
> Chapter title is from "Second Chance" by Shinedown

Hawkeye was so close to losing his mind. It was nighttime, but he couldn't sleep.

He was very carefully watching Winchester and Margaret having a very quiet conversation in the corner.

His attention was soon taken away from them as the door flew open and a very disgruntled looking BJ came in.

BJ started racing toward Hawkeye. He could've sworn he heard Winchester swear as BJ knocked over a cart with extra bandages in it.

BJ stopped beside his bed. “Hawkeye?” he whispered, his hands outstretched as if he was ready to hug him.

“Excuse me?” Winchester said, confused, as Colonel Potter ran in, closely followed by Radar.

“Hawkeye?” BJ said it again, hardly paying attention to anyone else in the room.

Hawkeye tried to say yes, but the closest he got was a grunt that sounded like “Yump”.

“Hawkeye,” BJ said yet again, getting more excited by the minute.

Hawkeye managed to hold up a thumbs up that made BJ jump for joy. Radar gave an excited squeak, Margaret and Winchester gave looks of astonishment, a nurse keeled over and fainted, and Colonel Potter yelled, “Crocodile Cookies!”

“How did you know it was him?” Colonel Potter asked after a moment's silence.

“Well, I went to find out more about him,” BJ said. “I found a little figurine in a hula skirt which Hawkeye said he would get me, and on it, it said “To BJ,” so I put two and two together, and...”

The group of people that had gathered around slowly separated, and soon the only people left were BJ, Colonel Potter, Radar, Winchester, and Margaret. 

They all said goodbye and goodnight, leaving Hawkeye very tired, and soon he drifted off to sleep.

______________________________________________

A lot of things changed once they realized he was Hawkeye.

For one thing he had a lot of more visits (most of them were BJ). For another, some of the nurses were less keen to change his bandages.

But all in all, he was so happy that BJ found him hidden in plain sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all so much for reading this! It's my sister's first story, and it's what convinced her to write more. Thanks again! Let us know what you thought!

**Author's Note:**

> The story's all finished, and she wants to put up one chapter a week, so we'll see you next Tuesday. 
> 
> In the meantime, what do you think? Did you enjoy? Let us know! Thanks for reading, and we'll see you next time!


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